As science center professionals began gathering in Philadelphia for the ASTC Annual Conference, participants from five continents took part in a day-long workshop, “Measuring Our Carbon Footprint and Fingerprints on Climate Change,” hosted by the Academy of Natural Sciences. ASTC’s International Action on Global Warming (IGLO) initiative invited representatives from various research institutions including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Goddard Space Flight Center, and Appalachia Voices. Speakers presented their latest findings in climate change research and discussed how science centers might best engage the public in learning about the accelerating influence of human activity on the environment.

Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Project on Climate Change, discussed his research center’s in-depth polling on public perceptions of climate change in the United States. He noted that while most respondents perceived climate change as a problem, they ranked it as a low priority. “Americans still think,” explained Leiserowitz, “that climate change is going to happen somewhere very far away—a small island far away, but not here, not in my home.”

IGLO also formally unveiled a new National Science Foundation-funded project. Communicating Climate Change pairs 12 U.S. science centers with 12 research institutions across the country to survey public attitudes toward climate change, conduct public education, and foster participation by citizen scientists in real climate research. The project is headed by a collaborative effort between the Yale Climate Project and the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology.

The workshop ended with a lively question-and-answer session where participants and presenters considered new media strategies for educating the public about climate change. Members of the audience were particularly interested in a planned tool of the Communicating Climate Change project, a web-based interactive map that will allow IGLO members and other science organizations to enter data on climate change in their own localities.

About the image: By videoconference, Mary Ann Hitt of Appalachian Voices details how her organization has used the Google Earth application to inform Internet users about mountain top removal. Photo by Christine Ruffo

ASTC has received a major grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a three-year collaborative project entitled Communicating Climate Change. The grant, awarded by NSF’s Informal Science Education Program, will enable ASTC to advance the informal learning sector’s contribution to public engagement with climate science and the implications of global warming. Partners include the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the American Geophysical Union, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), and the Yale School of Forestry and Environment, as well as 12 science centers throughout the United States, each paired with a research center.

Each partnership will investigate a local outcome of climate change—such as loss of butterfly habitats—and involve the surrounding community in exploring reasons for and consequences of that change. The project will result in numerous tools for the informal science community, including model citizen science projects, an online interactive map of climate change research, and educational videos. Also part of the project is a national survey of public perceptions of and attitudes toward climate change.

Communicating Climate Change is a project of ASTC’s International Action on Global Warming (IGLO) initiative.

The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was honored yesterday at a White House ceremony as a 2008 National Medal for Museum and Library Service recipient. The award is given annually by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in coordination with the White House, to 10 museums and libraries in recognition of their extraordinary civic, educational, economic, environmental, and social contributions. IMLS is the primary source of U.S. federal funding for museums and libraries. U.S. Representative Chaka Fattah of Pennsylvania’s 2nd Congressional District congratulated the museum, saying, “The Franklin is the cherished destination and learning experience for every boy, girl, and parent in our region, usually more than once…and I look forward to my family’s next visit.”

Dr. Albert Hicks III’s (shown here with First Lady Laura Bush, Albert J. Hicks, III, Franklin Institute director Dennis Wint, and IMLS director Anne Radice ) passion for science was ignited at age 13 when his uncle encouraged him to join the Franklin Institute’s Partnerships for Careers in Technology and Science (PACTS) program. Hicks participated in science workshops, on topics such as biological science and chemical engineering, then in high school continued to participate in the program as an explainer. In college, he was in charge of the Franklin’s explainers and summer programs, creating daily agendas and supervising biological research on a local lake in Fairmount Park. Now in residency at Drexel’s College of Medicine, he credits the Franklin Institute’s PACTS program with giving him skills he needs as a physician. “The program developed my confidence in public speaking, improved my interpersonal skills, and enriched my love of science,” Hicks says.

About the image: (left to right) First Lady Laura Bush, Albert J. Hicks, III, Franklin Institute director Dennis Wint, and IMLS director Anne Radice

Photo courtesy IMLS

With great sadness, we report that Joel N. Bloom, a founder of ASTC and its first board chairman, died on September 23 after a long illness. He was 83.

Joel played a pivotal role in ASTC not only as a founder, but also as a passionate champion of science centers among national leaders and within the museum world. When he received the ASTC Fellow Award for Outstanding Contribution in 1988, we recognized “his sage leadership and distinguished service to the science museum community,” saying, “His unique contributions as a persuasive advocate and valued mentor have significantly advanced the science museum profession and the Association. We salute his dedication, his vision, and his chutzpah.”

Joel was director and president of the Science Museum and Fels Planetarium of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia from 1969 until he retired in 1990. He was also the first science museum president to serve as president of the American Association of Museums (1988–92).

Many remember Joel as an inspirational mentor who was particularly supportive of women. He influenced many people who went on to become innovators in the museum field. “Joel was a mentor of mentors,” said museum consultant Alan J. Friedman. “I have no doubt several generations of museum leaders are guided by Joel’s wisdom, whether they know it or not.”

Two years after breaking ground, the new California Academy of Sciences opens its new green building’s doors to the public on September 27.

The building, designed by architect Renzo Piano, features a 197,000-square-foot green roof that dips and slopes, mirroring its surroundings in Golden Gate Park. After experimenting with 30 native species, nine species were chosen to flourish in the park’s climate—these will thrive with little water, resist the salt spray from ocean air, and tolerate wind. The roof will provide habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. A future project will seek to introduce the endangered San Bruno elfin butterfly and the Bay checkerspot butterfly to this new habitat. An open-air observation terrace enables visitors to get a close-up look at the roof’s canopy of plants.

The new building houses an aquarium, planetarium, natural history museum and a 4-story rainforest, as well as the Academy science labs and offices, including a scientific archive consisting of more than 20 million specimens.

Photo courtesy California Academy of Sciences